Other candidates whose names have been mentioned for the Clemson opening include Wright State coach Brad Brownell, former Boston College coach Al Skinner, Baylor's Scott Drew, Shaka Smart of VCU, Mike Young of Wofford, Ken McDonald of Western Kentucky and Clemson interim head coach Ron Bradley.

Taylor characterized the coaching speculation as a flattering but distracting necessity this time of year, and said it's proof that things are going in the right direction for the Monarchs, who went 27-9 and beat Notre Dame in the first round of the NCAA tournament this season.

"It's a compliment to our place and to our program that people will speculate about us," said Taylor, who has been at ODU for nine seasons. "We've got a really good thing going, and our program is as strong as it's ever been. What that lends itself to is people saying, 'I'd like to have some of that.' (But) people are just throwing darts at the wall to see what sticks."

This is not the first time Taylor's name has come up in another school's coaching search. Taylor had what he said were very informal talks with Tulane athletic director Rick Dickson, who was at Washington State when Taylor coached at Montana, at the Final Four.